Renovations have begun on the Lebanon Valley Family YMCA in Lebanon, PA, despite the organization having raised just $850,000 of the $3 million needed for the project.
The Y's CEO, Phil Tipton, told The Lebanon Daily News that he hoped that the start of construction would spur more donations.
The year-long project will allow for expansion at the Y's wellness center and movement of its youth center from a separate building into the main facility.
The wellness center will be moved to part of the gymnasium area, which is being divided into two floors. Part of the basketball courts will remain and will be viewable from the wellness center. The move will allow the wellness center to be expanded to nearly twice the size of the current wellness center. Renovations to this area are expected to be completed in December.
Once the wellness center is moved, construction on the youth center, which will be located in the old wellness center space, will begin. The youth center will have a separate entrance in addition to a computer room, a classroom for tutoring and a kitchen area to host cooking classes.
Smaller renovations will be made to the lobby of the Y and to the Kids Corner.
During the last phase of construction, which is expected to be finished in May 2013, the administrative offices will be moved to the train depot where the youth center had been.